Mahamudra Retreat with Lama Palden

Thursday – Sunday, September 28 – October 1, 10:00am-5:00pm daily; will end at 4pm on Sunday.

4-day Non-residential Retreat with Lama Palden

Mahamudra meditation provides a precise, graduated, step-by-step process for coming to the realization of the true nature of mind & reality, and then being able to rest in that true nature – peaceful, content and joyous no matter what is happening. Without realization of the nature of what is, we are often trying to arrange phenomena to be the way we would like, which often results in frustration & suffering.

This Mahamudra retreat will combine sitting meditation with teaching and instruction, and will move through the stages of the path leading to realization. Beginning with shamatha (Tib: shiné) meditation, the mind is brought to stability. Then in vipassana (Tib: lhaktong) meditation, the nature of our experience is examined and its true, nondual nature ultimately realized. The actual Mahamudra practice joins the two, resting in the primordial purity of true nature and experiencing phenomena self liberate.

Participants’ meditation practice will be closely followed by Lama Palden. Songs from the great Mahamudra masters lighten us and facilitate the integration of deep truth into our streams of being.

Prerequisites:
This retreat is suitable for both advanced practitioners and those new to Mahamudra meditation. Some experience with meditation is highly recommended. Please contact us below if you have questions.

Teacher

Lama Palden Drolma is the founder and spiritual director of Sukhasiddhi Foundation. She completed the traditional Tibetan Buddhist three-year retreat in the Shangpa and Karma Kagyu lineages under Kalu Rinpoche’s guidance in 1985. In 1986 she became one of the first Western women to be authorized as a lama in the Vajrayana tradition. With overwhelming gratitude to her gurus, Lama Palden transmits, trains and mentors students, passing on the profound and precious teachings and practices that enable one to reach full and complete awakening in this lifetime.

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Upcoming Events

Opening the Gate: Monday Evening Quiet Meditation Beginning September 11, 2017: Every Monday at 7:00pm In these turbulent times, we are all looking for a place of sanctuary where we can find peace and meaning. Please join us on Monday evenings for a simple group meditation where we can feel the support of shared silence and discover the inner sanctuary that lies within each individual heart as well as our collective heart. Meditating with a group can be a powerful support for beginning or deepening your spiritual practice. Join Barbara[...]

Tuesday Morning Lujong (Tibetan Yoga) and Meditation Beginning Sept. 5, 2017: Every Tuesday 9:30 – 11:00 am Meditation is a way to calm the mind and allow our natural deep well of serenity, love and wisdom to flourish in our hearts. minds and in our daily lives. But we all know it is not easy to sit quietly. To do so we need to have harmony between our body and mind, to be grounded in the present moment, and to feel stable, confident and whole. Lujong, Tibetan yoga, has been[...]

Exploring the Heart Sutra: The Core Buddhist Teaching on Emptiness 8 Wednesday evenings: October 11 – December 6, 2017, 7:00-8:30pm (No class on November 22, 2017) THE QUINTESSENCE of the Great Wheel of Buddhism is contained in the enigmatic and pith Heart Sutra. In this series of eight sessions, we will explore the meaning of the words of this profound sutra, finding ways of applying this to our daily lives and meditation practice. Please join me as we journey together and strengthen our aspiration to perfect wisdom. Each class will[...]

Lojong: The Seven Points of Mind Training 8 Thursday evenings: Sept 28 through Nov 16, 2017, 7:00-8:30pm IN THIS CLASS, we will begin the investigation the Seven Points of Mind Training and fifty-nine slogans designed to help us to transform all of life’s circumstances into practice. The fifty-nine slogans form a very skillful set of antidotes to the habitual patterns of thoughts and emotion that cause us suffering These teachings were brought to Tibet in the eleventh century and have since been practiced by all Tibetan lineages. Each class will[...]

The Women’s Group: Support for Women in Spiritual Practice Six Saturdays: Sep 2, Oct 21, Nov 18, Dec 16, Jan 13, Feb 24 The Women’s Group provides a rich, supportive environment for women in spiritual practice. The group will meet with Lama Pallden monthly on 6 Saturdays for three hours; each session includes meditation, teaching and sharing of experience. Under Lama Palden’s guidance, the group will be studying the book, Machik’s Complete Explanation: Clarifying the Meaning of Chöd, translated by Sarah Harding. In this book. Machik Lapdrön, the great eleventh[...]

THE PRACTICE OF Six-arm Mahakala (Tibetan: Chagdrukpa), the fierce form of Chenresig, and the primary Shangpa lineage protector, helps practitioners overcome obstacles on the path to enlightenment and in daily life. Lama Döndrup will lead the practice each month. Prerequisites: Open only to those who have had the Six Arm Mahakala (Chagdrukpa) empowerment and been taught the practice. Location: Sukhasiddhi Center, Fairfax CA. Cost: Donation. Contribute online or by cash or check when attending the event. Questions? Contact Us Lama Döndrup has practiced and studied in the Buddhist tradition[...]

Opening the Gate: Monday Evening Quiet Meditation Beginning September 11, 2017: Every Monday at 7:00pm In these turbulent times, we are all looking for a place of sanctuary where we can find peace and meaning. Please join us on Monday evenings for a simple group meditation where we can feel the support of shared silence and discover the inner sanctuary that lies within each individual heart as well as our collective heart. Meditating with a group can be a powerful support for beginning or deepening your spiritual practice. Join Barbara[...]

Tuesday Morning Lujong (Tibetan Yoga) and Meditation Beginning Sept. 5, 2017: Every Tuesday 9:30 – 11:00 am Meditation is a way to calm the mind and allow our natural deep well of serenity, love and wisdom to flourish in our hearts. minds and in our daily lives. But we all know it is not easy to sit quietly. To do so we need to have harmony between our body and mind, to be grounded in the present moment, and to feel stable, confident and whole. Lujong, Tibetan yoga, has been[...]

Exploring the Heart Sutra: The Core Buddhist Teaching on Emptiness 8 Wednesday evenings: October 11 – December 6, 2017, 7:00-8:30pm (No class on November 22, 2017) THE QUINTESSENCE of the Great Wheel of Buddhism is contained in the enigmatic and pith Heart Sutra. In this series of eight sessions, we will explore the meaning of the words of this profound sutra, finding ways of applying this to our daily lives and meditation practice. Please join me as we journey together and strengthen our aspiration to perfect wisdom. Each class will[...]

Lojong: The Seven Points of Mind Training 8 Thursday evenings: Sept 28 through Nov 16, 2017, 7:00-8:30pm IN THIS CLASS, we will begin the investigation the Seven Points of Mind Training and fifty-nine slogans designed to help us to transform all of life’s circumstances into practice. The fifty-nine slogans form a very skillful set of antidotes to the habitual patterns of thoughts and emotion that cause us suffering These teachings were brought to Tibet in the eleventh century and have since been practiced by all Tibetan lineages. Each class will[...]